Hans Zimmer buys BBC Maida Vale studios: PMC speaks

This week, Hans Zimmer announced he had purchased the famed BBC Studio Maida Vale for £10.5M, home to countless recordings, live sets and many key BBC music moments since 1946.

The BBC announced the closure of the studio in 2018 and BBC Director General Tony Hall said “The complex will be replaced by a new, state-of-the-art facility in east London. The BBC will be able to record and broadcast more live music than ever before”.

The irony is that Maida Vale has played host to the huge BBC hit The Piano Room series of concerts this year and the BBC is revisiting classic recordings on various BBC stations under the banner of The Vault.

The good news is that Hans Zimmer has purchased the studio after speculation that it would be purchased by a record label or a private investment group.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be speaking to industry people who have thoughts or connections to Maida Vale and sharing them on AMI.

Our first comment comes from PMC’s Peter Thomas, pictured above at Madia Vale in 1990.

“I am so pleased that Hans Zimmer has bought Maida Vale. My first thought, when I heard the news, was thank heavens it’s been saved from developers. Maida Vale has an incredible history as a music recording facility, and it would have been a tragedy to lose it. Hopefully, its future is now secure.

Personally, I have fond memories of Maida Vale. I was responsible for all the technical facilities there from 1985 to 1991. When I left to set up PMC, Maida Vale installed our very first professional speakers – a pair of BB5 XBD Active monitors that have been in constant use there since 1991.

Given the popularity of PMC monitors with film composers and top film mixing rooms, Hans Zimmer should feel very much at home. We look forward to the next chapter in this legendary venue’s existence and wish him all the best.”

Do you have any thoughts, memories or opinions you’d like to share? Please send to news@audiomediainternational.com.

Welcome to issue 7 of Audio Media International